On May 4, 2025, a heartbreaking plea was made by Daniel Martell, the stepfather of two young children, Jack Sullivan, 4, and Lily Sullivan, 6, who have been missing since the morning of May 2, 2025. The children, who disappeared from their home in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, are believed to have wandered off, but Martell has expressed his concerns, suggesting the possibility of something more sinister. In an emotional appeal, he urged the public to assist in the search for the children, hoping to bring them home safely and resolve the mystery of their disappearance.

The Disappearance: What Happened on May 2, 2025?

Lansdowne Station, a quiet rural area in Pictou County, is a place where everyone knows their neighbors, and the daily rhythms of life are slow-paced. It was in this setting that Jack and Lily Sullivan went missing under mysterious circumstances. Their disappearance has sent shockwaves through the community, which is now rallying behind the search effort. The children’s last known location was their family home on Gairloch Road, about 20 kilometers southwest of New Glasgow.

According to Daniel Martell, the children were last seen around 8 a.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025. Martell, who has been in a relationship with the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, for the past three years, recalls the morning being relatively quiet at first. He describes Lily entering their bedroom a few times, and Jack playing in the kitchen. Then, the house fell eerily silent.

“It was strange,” Martell recalls. “Everything was so quiet, and I remember hearing Jack’s voice in the kitchen and Lily was in and out of the room. But then, nothing. The silence was deafening.”

After realizing that the children were nowhere to be found, Martell quickly sprang into action. He believes they might have exited through the sliding back door, a door that he describes as being “almost silent.” Despite the initial belief that the children may have wandered off on their own, Martell has not ruled out other possibilities.

“I wish the response had been quicker, and that more resources had been deployed right away,” Martell said, expressing frustration at the pace of the authorities’ response.

Martell’s worry is compounded by his suspicion that the children’s disappearance might not be a simple case of wandering off. He has asked for authorities to monitor the New Brunswick border and surrounding airports in case the children were taken. His concern stems from the idea that someone might have abducted Jack and Lily, and he fears that time is of the essence in preventing them from being taken further away.

Descriptions of Jack and Lily Sullivan: The Missing Children

The last time they were seen, Jack was wearing a pull-up diaper, and Lily had a distinctive white backpack with red strawberries, a detail that has been shared widely in the hope that it will help jog someone’s memory. As the hours stretched into days, the lack of any concrete evidence of the children’s whereabouts has made their disappearance all the more puzzling and troubling.

“The fact that they were so quiet, and I didn’t hear anything else, is what scares me,” Martell said. “I just want them to come home safe.”

The Search Effort: A Growing Operation

As of Sunday, May 4, 2025, the search for Jack and Lily is ongoing and intensifying. More than 160 trained search and rescue personnel, including K9 units, helicopter teams, and drone units, have been working around the clock to locate the missing children. These teams are facing a number of challenges, including the dense wooded terrain of rural Pictou County, where the children could have gotten lost or hidden. The weather conditions also add to the complexity of the search, with heavy rain and gusty winds making it difficult to navigate the area.

Staff Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon of the RCMP confirmed on Sunday that the search continues through the night. “We are making every effort possible to locate the children and bring them back safely,” MacKinnon stated. “While we are facing challenges due to the terrain and weather, we will not stop searching until we have answers.”

One potential lead has come from the discovery of a footprint near the search area on Saturday. Authorities are focusing their efforts on this location in hopes of finding more clues to lead them to Jack and Lily. The footprint is being examined closely, and teams are expanding their focus to the nearby woods, hoping to find further signs of the children’s whereabouts.

Despite the efforts of emergency teams, there are significant obstacles that complicate the search. Staff Sgt. Josh Wiese, who is coordinating the ground operations, described the difficulties of searching in an area with no cellular service. This lack of communication ability has been a challenge for search teams, who must rely on traditional methods to communicate and coordinate their efforts.

“We are having to operate without the ability to easily communicate by phone,” Wiese explained. “This adds another layer of difficulty to an already complex search. But despite these challenges, we have rotating teams working non-stop, and everyone is fully committed to finding these children.”

Involving the Public: A Call for Vigilance

As part of the ongoing search, residents of Lansdowne Station and the surrounding area are being asked to assist by checking their properties for signs of the missing children. Authorities have asked people to check sheds, culverts, outbuildings, and wooded areas, as these are places where the children might be hiding. However, while public vigilance is crucial, officials have emphasized that the search is a controlled effort, and they are currently unable to accept walk-up volunteers due to safety and logistical concerns.

“The cooperation of local residents is vital,” said Wiese. “However, we are asking people to check their own properties and report anything suspicious to authorities directly. This is a delicate operation, and we need to maintain coordination.”

The RCMP has also provided a hotline number for anyone with information about the children’s whereabouts. People are urged to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333 if they have any information that could assist in the search.

Martell’s appeal for help has resonated deeply with the local community, which has rallied together to support the search effort. “This is every parent’s nightmare,” he said. “If anybody out there knows anything, no matter how small, please come forward now. We just want our children back.”

The Implications of the Disappearance: What Could Have Happened?

The disappearance of Jack and Lily Sullivan raises important questions about child safety in rural areas and the vulnerabilities that come with living in a secluded environment. Rural communities often present unique challenges when it comes to ensuring the safety of children, as the areas are more spread out, and access to emergency services can be limited.

Experts in child safety and abduction cases have pointed out that while many children do wander off in rural settings, the circumstances of Jack and Lily’s disappearance do not fit the typical pattern. The quiet nature of the event and the lack of any immediate warning signs have led some to believe that there may be more at play. This raises concerns about the possibility of child abduction, as Martell has suggested, or other unforeseen circumstances that could have led to their disappearance.

In recent years, abduction cases have become an increasing concern in both rural and urban communities. While the majority of missing children are found safe, cases of abduction continue to spark widespread concern. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), there were over 400,000 reports of missing children in the United States alone in 2020. Of those, a significant number involved children who were taken by non-custodial parents or strangers.

The Role of Social Media: Spreading Awareness

As the search for Jack and Lily continues, social media has played a crucial role in spreading the word about the missing children. The widespread sharing of their descriptions and photographs on platforms like Facebook and Twitter has helped keep the case in the public eye. Martell has encouraged people to continue sharing information about the disappearance, as he believes it could help bring the children home.

“It’s incredible to see how many people care,” Martell said. “Every share, every post, helps keep this in the public’s mind. We just need someone to come forward with information that can lead us to our children.”

A Heartfelt Plea from a Stepfather: The Ongoing Search for Answers

As of now, the search continues. The hope is that, with the combined efforts of authorities and the public, Jack and Lily Sullivan will be found safe. The case remains a developing story, with updates expected as new information becomes available.

For now, Daniel Martell’s heartfelt plea serves as a reminder of the heart-wrenching fear that any parent or stepparent faces when their children go missing. The days are ticking by, and with each passing hour, the urgency of the search increases. The community remains united, hoping for a resolution that will bring Jack and Lily back home to their family.

This story is far from over. The mystery of what happened to Jack and Lily will continue to unfold, and the people of Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, will remain hopeful that their efforts to find the missing children will eventually lead to the happy ending that everyone is praying for.